The all-new Volvo S60 - sculpted to move you

The all-new Volvo S60 will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2, 2010. As the car will enter the highly competitive CD Premium global segment, Volvo Car Corporation will market the vehicle with an extrovert attitude never before seen in Volvo showrooms. As well, the desire to create a car with stand-out design played heavily in the development of the vehicle and the S60 is the most dynamic car Volvo has ever presented. Finally, its Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake is a new, groundbreaking safety feature.

"The sporty design delivers a visual promise of enthusiastic driving characteristics and I can assure you that the all-new S60 truly lives up to that promise," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stephen Odell. "Its driving properties are better than those of any previous Volvo. What is more, the car's innovative new technologies help you become both a better and a safer driver."

Odell adds: "The competition is razor-sharp and the customers know exactly what they want. The emphasis is on emotional stance, sporty design and dynamic driving properties. Success in this segment means a lot for the brand's image and we are convinced that the all-new S60 will be one of the strongest contenders."

The all-new S60 will be launched in Canada in the second-half of 2010. Prices will be announced closer to the car's launch.

Coupe-like sedan

The all-new S60 is sportier and more dynamic than any previous Volvo vehicle. But, it is still an unmistakeable representative of Scandinavian design.

"The S60 has been sculpted to move you," says Volvo Cars' Design Director Peter Horbury. "Every single line in its design is there to transport you both physically and emotionally. Its profile radiates so much coupe feeling that the rear doors come as something of a pleasant surprise when you examine the car close-up."

Virtually all the lines of the all-new S60 were penned to carve out a dynamic profile. The C-pillar stretches all the way to the tail lamps and the slim coupe-like roof line is accompanied by a new contour on the shoulders on either side of the lower body, creating a gentle yet powerful double wave from the headlamps at the front to the tail lamps at the rear.

The dip in the double wave creates the visual effect of pushing the car down. This enhances the stance and makes the car look sleeker and lower. The sculpted bonnet and the short overhangs front and rear also emphasise the sports car feel.

The most dynamic Volvo ever

The all-new S60 was engineered to appeal to a driver's sensibilities. It is the most dynamic car model Volvo Cars has ever produced.

"This project has been about pure passion and drove Volvo's chassis development expertise to its very pinnacle," says Stefan Sällqvist, who is in charge of developing the chassis of the all-new S60. "We've crossed into territory where we've never been before."

The sedan can be specified with a choice of two chassis -- comfort or sport -- yet both deliver exceptional handling. The difference between the two chassis lies in the dampers and the front and rear subframes. The comfort variant has softer settings to give a smoother ride on poorer road surfaces.

Every single detailed refined

"The spotlight was on giving the concept of comfort a whole new dimension. The dynamic chassis has an alert, quick-responding architecture that puts the focus on the driving experience, yet without diluting the impression of a comfortable ride," explains Sällqvist.

During the development process, the chassis team carved out a holistic formula affecting virtually every single detail that influences a car's driving properties. This includes improved steering, stiffer springs and bushings as well as more damping than in any previous Volvo vehicle.

The software in the all-wheel drive system has been modified to exploit the sporty new chassis to the limit. The all-new S60 can also be specified with the advanced, self-adjusting Volvo FOUR-C active chassis. The FOUR-C active chassis has been modified and refined for better control and more comfortable feel compared to previous Volvos vehicles.

First sedan with Advanced Stability Control

The dynamic new chassis in the all-new Volvo S60 is backed up by a range of electronic systems that sharpen the sporty driving experience further.

The S60 is the first sedan on the market with Advanced Stability Control. With a new roll angle sensor, it is possible to identify skidding tendency at a very early stage. This means the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) can step in earlier and with greater precision. Advanced Stability Control is an asset when the car is under considerable lateral forces by improving handling and rapid avoidance manoeuvres.

Corner Traction Control for tighter cornering

Corner Traction Control is a further refinement to the DSTC system that uses torque vectoring so the car takes curves more smoothly. When cornering, the brakes of the car's inner driven wheel are applied at the same time as more power is transmitted to the outer driven wheel. This allows the driver to take the curve tighter while reducing any tendency to understeer.

A highly advanced braking system is an important part of dynamic driving and the all-new S60 has been tuned to provide the shortest possible stopping distance in all scenarios.

Exclusive interior

In developing the interior of the all-new S60, Volvo Cars designers added excitement, contrast and playfulness to the rational simplicity of Scandinavian design tradition.

"The interior has a more extrovert attitude than before, but without losing any of its practical Scandinavian roots. The all-new S60 brings us up to a whole new level when it comes to the integral experience of colour, form, material and technology," says Horbury.

The interior of the all-new S60 is lavish in terms of its driver-oriented details, but it is still a five-seat car offering comfortable space for all its occupants. The sculpted outer rear seats give the passenger in the middle welcome side support. Knee space in the rear seat has increased by 30 mm compared with the previous-generation S60. The rear seat splits 40/60 and the boot opening has been made 107 mm wider than in the previous-generation S60.

Most high-tech Volvo ever - with Pedestrian Detection

The sporty interior of the all-new S60 is also the most advanced, high-tech environment ever offered to a Volvo vehicle driver.

"The interior of the all-new S60 is all about innovative design in two areas: form and technology," says Tomas Ahlborg, Project Director for the all-new S60. "The design is characterised by sporty freshness down to the smallest detail. The technological aspect includes all those smart solutions that contribute to a driving experience unlike that of any other Volvo - from collision avoidance safety and comfort systems to infotainment and audio excellence of absolute world class."

Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake is a groundbreaking technological solution. It can detect pedestrians who walk onto the road in front of the car, provide a warning to the driver, and -- should the driver not respond in time -- automatically apply full braking power.

"We are truly proud of our success in making our technology so reliable that we can offer a complete system that can avoid a collision with a pedestrian by detecting, alerting and applying full braking," says Thomas Broberg, Senior Safety Advisor at Volvo Cars. "It's a world first, to the best of our knowledge. With this technology we have increased the braking force in our automatic braking system from fifty percent to full stopping power."

Can avoid collision with a pedestrian at up to 35 km/h

In an emergency situation, the driver first receives an audible warning combined with a flashing light in the windscreen's head-up display. At the same time, the car's brakes are pre-charged. If the driver does not react to the warning and impact is imminent, full braking power is automatically applied.

Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds of up to 35 km/h if the driver does not react in time. At higher speeds, the focus is on slowing down the car as much as possible prior to impact.

A lower speed at impact significantly reduces the risk of serious injury. For instance, if speed is reduced from 50 km/h to 25 km/h, Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake is expected to reduce the fatality risk by as much as 20 percent and in some cases by up to 85 percent.

More powerful T6 version

During its first year of production, the all-new Volvo S60 will be equipped with a high-performance, turbocharged six cylinder engine producing 304 horsepower.

The T6 has a displacement of 3.0 litres and produces 325 lb.-ft. (440 Nm) of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 6.5 seconds and top speed is 250 km/h. At the same time, Volvo Cars' engine specialists have succeeded in cutting fuel consumption by about 10 percent to 9.9 l/100 km (Estimated EU Combined).

The engine's power is delivered through Volvo's second-generation six-speed automatic Geartronic transmission; upgraded with new valves and lower friction for faster gear changes. All-wheel drive is standard.

New infotainment system - and world-class sound

The all-new S60 receives an all-new infotainment system where information from the audio unit, navigation system, mobile phone and other functions are presented on a five-inch or seven-inch colour screen in the upper part of the centre console. The screen is installed high to make it easy for the driver to keep their eyes on the road.

"We are one of the few manufacturers to give the driver access to all infotainment functions via controls in the steering wheel," says Ahlborg.

One of the first car models with MultEQ

"Our most advanced system, Premium Sound, has a class-D digital 5x130W amplifier with circuits from Sweden's Anaview, Dolby Digital in combination with Dolby Pro Logic II Surround, the award-winning MultEQ from Audyssey Laboratories and 12 loudspeakers. All this creates an audio experience of absolute world class," says Ahlborg.

The Volvo S60 is one of the first car models in the world to use Audyssey Laboratories MultEQ technology, the standard for room equalization in home and professional theatre markets. MultEQ removes distortion caused by the car cabin's acoustics, enabling crisp, clear sound with improved soundstage for everyone in the car.

Annual target 90,000 cars

The initial annual target for the all-new Volvo S60 is 90,000 cars. The customer base is spread uniformly throughout the world. Europe (including Russia), North America and the rest of the world will each account for about one-third of total sales.

The all-new S60 is built at the Volvo Cars factory in Ghent, Belgium.

"Irrespective of whether the customers are in the USA, Europe or elsewhere in the world, they all prioritise the same characteristics. Now we are giving them an entirely new S60 that has a unique appeal to even the most discerning of buyers," says Odell.

Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 41 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The company's product range includes the stylish and sporty C30, the elegant C70 hardtop convertible, the compact S40 sedan, the S80 flagship sedan and the versatile V50 and V70 wagons. For customers looking for a Volvo vehicle with all-road capability, the company offers the versatile XC60 crossover - equipped with City Safety as standard equipment - as well as the XC70 and XC90.

Descriptions and facts in this press material relate to Volvo Car Group's international car range. Described features might be optional. Vehicle specifications may vary from one country to another and may be altered without prior notification.

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